Boy battles man trying to kidnap sister

May 20, 2009 12:00:00 AM PDT

MONTEBELLO, Calif. --

A 13-year-old Montebello boy is being called a hero for saving his 11-year-old sister from an attempted kidnapping.Harvey Carrasco was walking home from school with friends and his sister Monday when a man grabbed the girl near the intersection of Marconi Avenue and 16th Street.

The man put a zip tie around the girl's neck and forced her into the trunk of his car, which was already open.

"I looked up and saw a big man grabbing my sister and trying to put her in the trunk. So me and my friend ran up to try to help her," said Harvey. "So my friend went one way and I went the other way cause there was a car. And so my friend took my little sister out of the car and I was trying to stop the man. But he just went to his car and I tried to take away his keys, but I thought what if he had a gun? So I couldn't risk it so then he just drove off."

The suspect is described as Latino, 35 to 40 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, about 250 pounds with brown hair. He was unshaven and wearing a baseball cap and a blue short sleeve shirt.

The car is a 2000 to 2003 silver four door compact.

The school district says it has notified parents to avoid rumors about what actually happened.

Anyone with information is asked to call Montebello Police at (323) 887-1262 or after hours at (323) 887-1313.